New DVDs: Buy, rent or ignore?

This week: 'Monsters vs. Aliens,' 'Away We Go' and 'The Wizard of Oz'

By Paul Semel

Posted September 28, 2009

Special to Metromix

You loved the movie, what about the DVD?

Find out as we examine the extras on this week's best movie DVDs...

"MONSTERS VS. ALIENS"
Stars: Reese Witherspoon, Seth Rogen, Hugh Laurie
Director: Rob Letterman ("Shark Tale") and Conrad Vernon ("Shrek 2")
Format: DVD, Ginormous Double DVD Pack, Blu-ray
What we said: "If the difference between a movie and an ad is substantial character, excitement and story, then 'Monsters vs. Aliens' is officially a toy commercial."

Extras: DVD: “Modern Monster Movie Making” and “The Tech of 'Monsters vs. Aliens'” featurettes; deleted scenes; juke box; commentary; trailers for "How to Train Your Dragon," "Shrek: The Musical," "Kung Fu Panda World," "The Penguins of Madagascar," "Shrek the Halls," "Secrets of the Furious Five" and the "Monsters vs. Aliens" video game.
Ginormous DVD Pack: All of the DVD extras plus a second disc with the all-new 3D short “B.O.B.'s Big Break” and four 3D glasses; paddle ball game; Karaoke Music Party.
Blu-ray: All of the Ginormous extras plus a trivia track and “Animator's Corner.”

Worth watching: “B.O.B.'s Big Break” gives you more of that funny guy voiced by Rogen.
Worth skipping: Unless there was an unreleased Led Zeppelin song in the movie we didn't know about, we'll skip the juke box and Karaoke Music Party.
Worth adding: "Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space," the Halloween special that'll be airing on NBC this Halloween. And undoubtedly released on some "Monsters vs. Aliens: Special Edition DVD" later on.

Buy, rent or ignore: Buy the Blu-ray or two-pack DVD; Ignore the single-disc.


"AWAY WE GO"
Stars: John Krasinski, Maya Rudolph, Maggie Gyllenhaal
Director: Sam Mendes ("American Beauty")
Formats: DVD, Blu-ray
What we said: "A drama trying too hard to be a comedy."

Extras: DVD: Commentary by Mendes and writers Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida; “The Making of 'Away We Go'” and “Green Filmmaking” featurettes.
Blu-ray: The above extras plus BD-Live scene sharing.

Worth watching: While you'll find it interesting, maybe even encouraging, we're really hoping other filmmakers will watch “Green Filmmaking,” about how this movie's production was environmentally friendly.
Worth skipping: No, we don't want to share our favorites scenes with you via BD-Live, leave us alone already.
Worth adding: Given their on-screen chemistry, a second commentary by Krasinski and Rudolph.

Buy, rent or ignore: Rent.


"THE WIZARD OF OZ: 70TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION"
Stars: Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Margaret Hamilton
Director: Victor Flemming ("Gone with the Wind")
Formats: DVD, Ultimate Collector's Edition DVD, Ultimate Collector's Edition Blu-ray
What we say: There's no place like home…when you're watching this beautifully-restored and extra-filled edition of the classic fantasy film.

Extras: DVD: Commentary; a new 5.1 Surround Sound audio track and the original mono track; sing-a-long track; The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Storybook; “Prettier Than Ever: The Restoration of Oz,” “We Haven't Really Met Properly,” “The Art of Imagination: A Tribute to Oz” and “Because of the Wonderful Things It Does: The Legacy of Oz” featurettes; “Memories of Oz” documentary; Harold Arlen's Home Movies; outtakes; deleted scenes; “It's a Twister! It's a Twister! The Tornado Tests”; “Off to See the Wizard”; 3 Vault Shorts; “Leo Is on the Air” radio promo; “Good News of 1939” radio show; “12/25/1950 Lux Radio Theater Broadcast”; still galleries; trailers.
Ultimate Collector's Edition DVD: All of the DVD extras plus “Victor Fleming: Master Craftsman,” “L. Frank Baum: The Man Behind the Curtain,” “Celebrating Hollywood's Biggest Little Stars,” “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” “The Wizard of Oz” and “His Majesty, the Scarecrow of Oz” featurettes; “The Magic Cloak of Oz” and “The Patchwork Girl of Oz,” 1914 silent films; “The Wizard of Oz,” a 1925 feature; “The Dreamer of Oz,” a 1990 TV special; a numbered, collectible Wizard of Oz watch; replica of the film's original budget; “Behind the Curtain,” a mini coffee table book; a reproduction of the original campaign book; digital copy.
Ultimate Collector's Edition Blu-ray: All of the Ultimate DVD extras plus “MGM: When the Lion Roars” documentary.

Worth watching: While this release is worth it for the great restoration alone, the silent films from 1914 and the inclusion of the original mono audio track are also highlights.
Worth skipping: If you're an aspiring filmmaker looking for financing, you might not want to see the numbers on the film's budget (which was big—for 1939).
Worth adding: They included just about everything, except hard cover editions of L. Frank Baum's original Oz novels.

Buy, rent or ignore: Buy.


Other DVDs out this week:
— Madonna tries her hand at directing—no, seriously—with the indie dramedy "Filth and Wisdom"
— Director Steven Soderberg goes back to the sex, lies and videotape for "The Girlfriend Experience" (also on Blu-ray)
— Jennifer Aniston stars in, believe it or not, a romantic comedy called "Management" (also on Blu-ray)
— Kevin Spacey goes from Jung to bong in "Shrink"

Also on Blu-ray:
"Billy Jack"
"The Dark Crystal"
"Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer"
"Labyrinth"
"Snakes on a Plane"
"Streets of Blood"
"The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" (2003)

Also released:
"Fermat's Room"
"Fireproof" (also on Blu-ray)
"The Hills Run Red"
"Lies & Illusions" (also on Blu-ray)